#Women Directors
Women and Hollywood’s Picks of the Week for August 15
Picks of the Week offers Women and Hollywood’s recommendations — women-driven and women-made movies, series, VOD releases, and more — and tells you why they are worth your time and...
Female Rage Against the Machine: Crowdfunding Picks
“It’s different for girls”: a ubiquitous phrase that holds a lot of truth. Things are different for girls. Harder, scarier, and so endlessly frustrating, it might just make someone scream. This...
Debra J. Fisher and Sarah Lampert Team Up for Netflix’s “Ginny & Georgia”
Netflix continues to dominate with its original content production. The streaming giant has added “Ginny & Georgia,” a mother-daughter drama showrun by Debra J. Fisher and written by...
Yael Hedaya and Daphna Levin’s Series About Turning “Fifty” Ordered by Israel’s Yes
Israeli writers Yael Hedaya and Daphna Levin have teamed up with Israeli broadcaster Yes for an eight-part series on turning 50. Hedaya will act as creator and writer while Levin is set to...
TIFF 2019 Adds More Galas and Special Presentations, Reveals World Cinema Lineup
The Toronto Film Fest has announced the lineups for more programs — including Contemporary World Cinema, Masters, and Wavelengths — and added additional titles to its Gala Presentations...
Trailer Watch: The March Sisters Chase Their Dreams in Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women”
“Women have minds and they have souls, as well as just hearts,” Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) declares in Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women.” “I’m so sick of people...
Trailer Watch: Art Transforms into Desire in Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”
“She wore out one painter before you. She refused to pose,” The Countess (Valeria Golino) warns an intrigued painter (Noémie Merlant). “You must paint without her knowing… Is...
Locarno Film Festival Releases Gender Stats for the First Time
Last year’s Locarno Film Festival saw the signing of the Programming Pledge for Parity in Inclusion in Cinema Festivals. Supported by the Swiss Women’s Audiovisual Network (SWAN), this...
Trailer Watch: Sasheer Zamata Spends “The Weekend” with Her Ex and His New Girlfriend
Zadie (Sasheer Zamata, “SNL”) is in for a trying weekend. She’s spending it at a bed and breakfast with her ex (Tone Bell, “Disjointed”) and his new girlfriend, Margo...
Apply Now: The 2020-21 AFI Directing Workshop for Women
The AFI Directing Workshop for Women (DWW) is now accepting applications for its 2020-21 program. Open to women and nonbinary directors with at least three years of professional experience, DWW...
Rose McGowan to Make Feature Directorial Debut with “Pomerania”
Rose McGowan may have officially quit screen acting, but that doesn’t mean she’s left the industry. The activist and “Brave” author will turn to the director’s chair...
Hanaa Edwar Documentary in the Works from Actress Zahraa Ghandour
As we previously reported, the 2019 Locarno Film Festival kicked off last week with Ginevra Elkann’s feature directorial debut “Magari.” This week’s festival screenings include...
Weekly Update for August 9: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING The Kitchen – Written and Directed by Andrea Berloff “The Kitchen” stars Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?” “Bridesmaids”), Tiffany...
Trailer Watch: Irene Taylor Brodsky Explores Music and Silence in “Moonlight Sonata”
“Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements” tells the story of a deaf boy growing up with a passion for Beethoven’s famous sonata, written the same year the composer was...
Jackie Collins Documentary in the Works from Laura Fairrie
Best-selling English romance novelist Jackie Collins, known for penning “Hollywood Wives,” “Chances,” and the Lucky Santangelo series, is getting her own documentary. Laura...
Trailer Watch: Political Columnist Molly Ivins Speaks Out in Janice Engel’s “Raise Hell”
Magnolia Pictures has dropped a trailer for the upcoming doc “Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins.” Janice Engel’s film honors the political columnist’s legacy and...
Michelle Esrick Doc “Cracked Up” to Be Released by Abramorama
Michelle Esrick’s “Cracked Up” is headed to theaters. Abramorama will release the Darrell Hammond documentary in NY on September 13 and in LA on September 20. A press release...
Trailer Watch: Sam Taylor-Johnson Brings James Frey’s “A Million Little Pieces” to the Big Screen
Sam Taylor-Johnson’s latest feature, “A Million Little Pieces,” is set for a U.S. release on December 6. The feature is based on James Frey’s controversial bestselling memoir...
Trailer Watch: Alma Har’el’s “Honey Boy” Details Shia LaBeouf’s Early Life and Adulthood
Award-winning filmmaker Alma Har’el’s debut narrative feature, “Honey Boy,” hits theaters November 8. The biopic won the Special Jury Prize – Dramatic at the 2019...
TIFF 2019 Announces Discovery Titles and Docs, Ellen Page and Barbara Kopple Among Directors
Ellen Page, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Barbara Kopple are just a few of the directors who will be screening films at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. TIFF 2019 has unveiled the...
Women and Hollywood’s Picks of the Week for August 8
Picks of the Week offers Women and Hollywood’s recommendations — women-driven and women-made movies, series, VOD releases, and more — and tells you why they are worth your time and money. One...
Sarah Gavron’s Latest to Open TIFF’s Platform Program, Lineup Is 40% Women-Directed
The Toronto International Film Festival has announced the lineup for its Platform section, a juried program spotlighting trailblazing directors from around the world. “Rocks,” from...
Under the Radar: Antonia Grace Glenn Explores American History Through “The Ito Sisters”
In the opening narration for the documentary “The Ito Sisters: An American Story,” director Antonia Grace Glenn states, “My family started recording interviews with my grandmother and her two...
New York Film Festival’s 2019 Main Slate Is 21 Percent Women-Directed
Film at Lincoln Center (FLC) has unveiled the Main Slate for the 57th New York Film Festival (NYFF). Twenty-nine films will screen in the section, and six of them are directed by women, or about 21...
Release Dates Set for “Sister Aimee” and Patricia Marcoccia’s Jordan Peterson Doc
Samantha Buck and Marie Schlingmann’s Sundance pic “Sister Aimee” and Patricia Marcoccia’s portrait of conservative academic/YouTuber Jordan Peterson have nabbed distribution and...
“She’s Gotta Have It’s” Radha Blank Making Her Feature Directorial Debut, Lena Waithe Producing
Playwright and “She’s Gotta Have It” writer-producer Radha Blank is making her first film. According to Variety, she is writing, directing, and toplining “The 40-Year-Old...
Anna Paquin’s Dark Comedy “Flack” Gets Season 2 Renewal
Pop TV and UKTV announced that “Flack” will be returning for Season 2, Deadline reports. Set in London’s cutthroat PR world, the dark comedy stars and is executive produced by Anna...
Trailer Watch: “Katy Keene” & Her Friends Pursue Their Dreams in The CW’s “Riverdale” Spinoff
“I feel like I’m ready to be Lacy’s newest personal shopper,” Katy Keene (Lucy Hale) announces in the trailer for her eponymous CW show, a spinoff of hit...
Trailer Watch: Best Friends Travel to Latin America for Medical Help in Netflix Doc “Léa & I”
In her Netflix documentary “Léa & I,” director Camille Shooshani introduces the audience to her best friend, Léa Moret. “She speaks five languages, cannot stop eating Haribo...
Weekly Update for August 2: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING The Nightingale – Written and Directed by Jennifer Kent “The Nightingale” is Jennifer Kent’s follow-up to her 2014 horror hit “The Babadook.”...
Guest Post: Why I Cut All of the Sex Scenes from My Film
Guest Post by Zoe Eisenberg Most filmmakers know the pain of finding their favorite scenes on the cutting room floor, but how about the satisfaction of snipping your least favorite scenes? During...
San Sebastian 2019: Official Selection Includes Three Women-Directed Films
Earlier this week, the San Sebastian International Film Festival announced that women directed more than half of its 2019 New Directors lineup. Now the fest has unveiled new additions to its Official...
Trailer Watch: Hannah Pearl Utt Uncovers Family Secrets in Her Comedy “Before You Know It”
In “Before You Know It,” Hannah Pearl Utt stars as stage manager Rachel Gurner, who still lives with her quirky family of artists — aspiring actress sister, playwright father, and...
Film as Grassroots Activism: Crowdfunding Picks
Films can have many impacts on their viewers: they can entertain, first and foremost, they can make you feel like you aren’t alone, and they can introduce you to new people or places. But they...
Helena Coan’s Audrey Hepburn Doc Secures Theatrical Release
Good Deed Entertainment has secured the North American rights to “Audrey,” Helena Coan’s documentary about legendary Hollywood star Audrey Hepburn. Produced by Salon Pictures and...
Natasha Lyonne Lines Up Directing Work on Awkwafina-Led Series, “Shrill,” & “High Fidelity” Reboot
“Russian Doll” co-creator, star, writer, director, and exec producer Natasha Lyonne is keeping busy before she heads into production on the second season of her “Groundhog...
August 2019 Film Preview
By Jenna Dorsi and Camryn Garrett While the season may be winding down, there are still plenty of films about or made by women to check out this summer. This August offers a wide selection of...
Women and Hollywood’s Picks of the Week for August 1
Picks of the Week offers Women and Hollywood’s recommendations — women-driven and women-made movies, series, VOD releases, and more — and tells you why they are worth your time and money. The...
Trailer Watch: An Act of Self-Defense Turns a Couple into Folk Heroes in “Queen & Slim”
One Tinder date ends up changing two people — and the world — forever in the latest trailer for “Queen & Slim.” After going out to dinner, Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith,...
Trailer Watch: A Family Is Divided in Locarno Opener “Magari”
A newly released trailer for Ginevra Elkann’s “Magari” (“If Only”) kicks off with a young girl pleading with the saints on her knees. “I’ll make a sacrifice...
Women Directed Over Half of San Sebastian’s 2019 New Directors Lineup
Spain’s San Sebastian International Film Festival signed the Gender Parity Pledge last year and — if its 2019 New Directors lineup is any indication — is taking its commitment to...
Rita Moreno Doc in the Works at PBS
Over five decades after co-starring in the original musical feature, Rita Moreno is currently filming Steven Spielberg’s remake of “West Side Story.” “Chamacas” director...
Trailer Watch: Children Are Haunted by the Drug Wars in Issa López’s “Tigers Are Not Afraid”
“We forget who we are when things from outside come to get us,” says Estrella (Paola Lara) in a trailer for “Tigers Are Not Afraid.” Set against the backdrop of Mexico’s...
Penny Marshall Tribute Planned by “A League of Their Own” Town Rockford, Illinois
The late “League of Their Own” director Penny Marshall will be honored by the town of Rockford, Illinois. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the home of the Rockford Peaches — the...
Trailer Watch: Melanie Martinez Goes to Boarding School in “K-12”
A trailer has dropped for “Dollhouse” singer Melanie Martinez’s directorial debut. Titled “K-12,” the musical feature is set in a fairy tale-like boarding school. At the...
Society, Expectations, and the “Other”: VOD and Web Series Picks
Society has unspoken expectations for everyone, especially women. We’re expected to dress in a certain way, do our hair and makeup, be less aggressive with men. Then there are expectations for...
Weekly Update for July 26: Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING Share – Written and Directed by Pippa Bianco (Premieres July 27 on HBO) “Share,” written and directed by Pippa Bianco, feels in some ways like a horror...
Sofia Carson Will Topline Elissa Down Dance Pic “Feel the Beat”
Sofia Carson is going to show a group of youngsters how it’s done on the dance floor. The “Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists” and “Descendants” star has signed on...
Amy Schumer Has a New Hulu Show on the Way
Amy Schumer is returning to television. The Emmy and Peabody-winning co-creator, star, writer, director, and exec producer of “Inside Amy Schumer” has received a series order from Hulu...
Alexandra Daddario-Starrer “Can You Keep A Secret?” Lands at Vertical Entertainment
Sophie Kinsella’s best-seller “Can You Keep A Secret?” is on its way to the screen. Vertical Entertainment snagged the U.S. distribution rights to the film adaptation with plans for...
Jessica Hausner’s “Little Joe” Picked Up By Magnolia
Magnolia Pictures has snagged the North American rights to Jessica Hausner’s sci-fi pic “Little Joe,” with plans for a theatrical release later in the year, Variety reports. The...